Shin no Kakera
by Evil Illusions
Summary: Inuyasha x Kagome drabbles written for the livejournal 30hugs and iy no kakera challenge. Contains various genres and ratings. :Shards of the Heart:
1. Maboroshi

**Title:** Maboroshi (Illusion)

**Theme:** #10 Just A Memory

**Rating:** PG (K+)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha

**Summary:** "I will continue to live when you're not here."

**Notes:** Not beta-d and contains implied character death.

She dropped the worn-out novel into her lap to stretch against the trunk, head lifted to gaze into the thick branches high above.

She stayed that way for a while, just watching the mosaic of dark and light greens flicker in the filtered light. Her soft eyes lingered on the clusters of fragile pink blossoms scattered generously across the boughs. Their sweet scent permeated the spring air around her.

Suddenly, it became too painful to look up. Her gaze opted to rest on a grassy patch nearby.

"It's already been a year huh?" She whispered to the wind as she patted the ground underneath her affectionately. Her thick tresses shrouded her eyes and the only thing visible was a gentle smile playing on her lips.

"Have you ever seen the Goshinboku flower like this?"

A light giggle escaped her even though she hadn't thought it possible. The thought of teasing him about smelling pretty and his would-be retort was too amusing despite everything.

But her mirth soon dissolved and her lips quivered as tears began to fall on her lap. Abruptly, she whipped around and wrapped her arms tightly around the trunk. Her embrace barely surrounded a quarter of it, but she proceeded to hug the wood closer anyway. She nuzzled her cheek against the rough bark, nose buried within a wide crack, inhaling the woody scent of the tree.

Her eyes were squeezed shut and for a precious moment she lived in a memory. It was not hard wood against her body, but strong arms that held her protectively against a muscled torso. It was not coarse bark that scraped her cheek, but fuzzy red fur that warmed her skin. It was not the scent of sap that flooded her senses, but the earthy masculine smell that only belonged to him. For a second in time, she was lost once more in his deep voice rumbling beside her ear and his hot breath fanning her neck.

She hastily scrambled up, retrieved the discarded book nearby and reached up to graze the scar on the tree's trunk lovingly in parting.

At the front of the house, she turned back for one more look at the tree. And she fancied seeing a ghostly red-clad figure lounging lazily on a leafy bough, not at all misplaced amongst the blossoms.

She smiled and shook her head

The tree was healthy and gorgeous… as it should be, nourished by the ashes of such a strong boy beneath its roots.


	2. Mental

**Title:** Mental

**Theme:** Iynokakera Set #2 Theme #87 Visitor

**Rating:** PG-13 (T)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha

**Summary:** You know you're in trouble when you starting arguing with the mirror.

The end of a frustrating, not to mention bloody and upsetting week found Kagome in the bathroom having a heated argument with her mirror reflection.

"I suppose you think you've really got it all, don't you?" Kagome glared daggers at the girl in front of her. "Of course you do, all you have do is whistle, or send one of your Shinidamachuu rather, and he comes running like a lovesick puppy. Bet that just makes you feel so much better than everyone else."

"Well, I am better than everyone else. Even someone as foolish as you must admit that." The girl on the other side of the glass replied haughtily in a Kikyou-Kagome-style voice. "Besides, he's bound to come to me no matter what. After all, he's got an obligation to me you know, and even if he doesn't, he'd love to see me given the chance."

"Oh shut up! What makes you think he loves you anyway?" At the sight of her opponent's smirk, Kagome shut her mouth with an audible snap. She'd just made a terrible terrible mistake and was going to pay very dearly for it.

"Let's see here." She mocked a thinking gesture, tapping her temple lightly with a slender finger. "Does 'better-looking' count? I suppose it does." She made a show of brushing some dirt off her pristine robes.

"W-what? You kidding me?" Kagome tried very hard not to look at that sleek dark hair bound so neatly behind her back and the delicate porcelain features.

"I'm stronger than you and much more capable of defending myself than you are." She laughed none too friendly. "I recall you had to use _my _arrow against Naraku. And if it was me traveling with him instead of you, he wouldn't have to waste his time saving some useless girl from every tiny flea that came along."

"That still doesn't explain why he loves you! Jakotsu was stronger than me, you don't see him falling for Jakotsu do you?" Kagome growled in a very familiar way upon recognizing the signs of a losing battle.

"I can name a million reasons why I'm better than you are and why he loves me and not you." Her rival stated calmly behind the glass. "I met him first. And I was the first woman he ever fell in love with. He even agreed to become human and marry me."

"Yeah, that's because you're one selfish bitch." Kagome muttered under her breath.

"I was the first one he hugged. I was the first one, and from what I gather, the only one he ever kissed." Came the unfazed reply.

Kagome managed a dignified upward tilt of her chin to (hopefully) show she didn't give a monkey's butt. She'd rather dance with a herd of stampeding elephants than admit to Kikyou she'd never been kissed by him.

But a thought came suddenly upon her. It left her oddly proud and exhilarated, heady with the imminent victory.

"Oh, but wait just a second Kikyou. I betcha you never saw him naked did you?" She grinned broadly as she watched the woman's eyes widen in shock. "But I did, not once but _three_ times!" She just stood there, silently daring her reflection to contradict her last statement.

A good thirty seconds passed and if one were to listen hard enough, one might just hear crickets chirping.

"No matter." Kikyou seemed to have recovered completely. "His life belongs to me anyway. I can see whatever I fancy seeing in due time. Furthermore, you have absolutely no way of knowing he hasn't shown me what he's shown you. We were going to marry, you know." And she smiled in that serenely infuriating way.

Kagome muttered two choice word that started with an 'f' and ended with a 'you', as well as a random assortment of 'undead' and 'clay pot'. Thoroughly convinced that she'd gone completely and utterly insane, Kagome stalked downstairs for some pills to curb her hellish headache.

A red and silver blob, looking very much like a frequent hanyou visitor, was convulsing uncontrollably on her bedroom floor. Because, he, for the life of him, could only recall two times and not the three she had declared.


End file.
